German Wire Haired Pointer

Bred for its ranging ability and stamina, the German wired-haired pointer is a variation on the short-haired variety.  Like its shorthaired counterpart and, indeed, like many of the gundog breeds of Western Europe, it too is required to hunt, point and retrieve game.

The wire-haired pointer is a mixture of local pointer blood and foxhounds, which gives rise to its rougher, wire haired coat.  All game is quarry for the German wire-haired pointer including snipe, woodcock, duck, pheasants and even large ground game like wild boar.

Keen to enter cover the German wire-haired pointer is also an excellent water dog and much favoured by sportsmen involved with lowland or marshland shooting where the dog would be required to enter water readily.

German Short Haired Pointer

This is probably the best know of the dogs referred to Hunt Point & Retrieve (HPR).  Its popularity in Britain began after the Second World War when troops returning home brought dogs back with them.  They were bred for the different types of game and terrain found in Western Europe and those who first used the breed in the British Isles soon recognised their versatility as the al-round gundog.

In Germany they were required to hunt all types of game, fowl and even large game such as boar.  They were required to hold the game for the sportsman too, which is where the pointer bloodline would have come into the frame.

Contrary to belief, game at the start of the 20^th century was scarce in parts Germany and it was essential to have a large, strong and ranging dog that was capable of locating and holding it.

The breed can be headstrong and difficult to train and they do not enter water as readily as some of the other HPR breeds.  Their attributes are their stamina, game finding ability and their undoubted retrieving skills.  Colour in the breed varies from liver and white to solid liver.

German Long Haired Pointer

Like its cousins the GSP and the GWP, the German short-haired pointer is built for staying power and stamina.  Its longer and softer coat belies its real purpose that of a water dog that is as much at home on the uplands or woods of its native land as in its rivers and lakes.  While it will hunt and point its real forte is in its superb retrieving ability and extreme softness of mouth.

The breed has been established in Germany since the 1870s as is a result of the many breeding programmes in that country at the time to establish the all-round hunting and retrieving dog.  There were five genetic bases used for the breed establishment, all of which would be hard to locate within the modern gundog world.   They were the Mylord, the Job, the Don the Kalcksteiner and the Roland.  Truly an ancient lineage for a graceful and effective gundog.

Pudelpointer

As the name of this breed would suggest, its origins are in the pointer and the standard poodle.  However the poodle was the German and not the French variety and was called the Pudel, a dog that had been established in that country for a considerable time and which performed many roles, including that of a retriever.

Kaiser Frederick III bred the first pudelpointer from a Pudel bitch and a pointer dog.  From this crossing came the first line of dogs that it was hoped would bring out the best in the Pudel’s retrieving ability and the pointers pointing skill.

The pudelpointer can, therefore be described as a hunt, point and retrieve breed.  Their popularity today is in Canada where a new association was formed in 1999 to promote the breed.

The similarities between the pudelpointer and some of the other European HPR breeds are obvious.  Strong set dogs with plenty of stamina, ingredients for a good day’s shooting for the individual hunter.

Large Munsterlander

This breed is believed to have emerged at the start of the 20^th century near Munster, in Germany.  It is likely that they resulted in breeding between spaniels and the German longhaired pointer.  A handsome dog they stand about 60 cms to the shoulder and weigh around 25 kilos

These, large, cheerful dogs fit into the hunt, point and retrieve category of working gundogs.  Their medium length, silky hair is generally black and white although some solid black dogs with just a hint of white freckling can occur.  They are most commonly used for upland game shooting for pheasants, quail, woodcock and partridges although they will enter water when required to do so.

Common on the shooting field in parts of Western Europe, the Large Munsterlander is not a dog that would bee seen in the sporting field in the UK or Ireland.   Most examples in the British Isles are for the show bench.  There are dedicated clubs for working Munsterlanders in the USA and Canada.

Small Munsterlander

Contrary to what many people think, the small Munsterlander was not a development of the larger dog bearing the same name.  The breeds are not related save for the fact they come from the same region in Germany.  The small Munsterlander is a much older breed that the large Munsterlander and more closely related to the Brittany than any German breed of gundog.  It is a fast dog on the ground and possesses a solid pointing instinct.

The coat of the small Munsterlander is smooth with feathering on the tail and legs.  Colours range from brown and white to roan and white with tan spotting common on many dogs.

Falling again into the hunt, point and retrieve category of working gundogs, the small Munsterlander is built for speed and stamina and works extremely well in water.